International migration dynamics in Mozambique and natural resource exploration

Gold and forest predation

Abstract

In recent years, global connectivity has led to the phenomenal movement of people across Mozambique in search of natural resources. Easier communication has turned the world into a nutshell in terms of time and distance. It is predicted that the growth of international migration will become aggravated in the coming years. Given Mozambique’s openness to foreign direct investments (FDIs), the peace that followed the country after the General Peace Agreement in 1992, and the subsequent era of coal, oil, and gas discoveries, the country came into the spotlight before the international community. Countless international migrants have entered the country by road, air, and sea in search of gold and forestry resources, while large companies came to explore oil, gas, forests, and coal. Thus, this paper seeks to reflect on the depredation of natural resources, perceived by many to be caused by international immigrants with either legal or illegal status. The literature review, data collected in the Cabo Delgado and Gaza provinces in the context of artisan mining and environmental refugees, and empirical evidence from news sources help to shed light on the issue. The main research question is: Is Mozambique again facing a new era of resource predation?